Chance
by aemu
Summary: They have one shot to make it or break it. Eight aspiring Pokémon trainers gathered at the prestigious Lumiose Academy- mishaps, misunderstandings, mistakes are awaiting them. But with each misfortune something is gained. Watch as eight kids emerge from their first year of high school matured and changed. Pokéship, Contestship, Ikariship, OldRivalship, minor QuestShip.
1. Chapter 1- Academy

**A/N: Okay, so I'm warning you all now.. this is my first Pok****émon fanfic and I'm not entirely entitled to write it because I haven't been watching the episodes recently. ;A; My apologies if it's not what you hope it to be. It should (hopefully) get better as we go along! (note the nervousness in tone) All the characters will be rather OOC because I'm not as familiar with them as I'd like to be… especially Leaf and Gary, who will make their appearances soon, as I know those characters the least well. Leaf will practically be an OC. **

**This author's note is dragging on for far too long. Read and review, but no flames please! Thank you all. c: **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, nor am I affiliated with the organization that does in any way.**

A cobalt-haired, bright blue-eyed girl raced down the old cobblestone paths, heading towards an impressive-looking building.

"I'm late for my appointment!" she gasped, running as fast as she could in a pair of high-top pink boots. She nearly ran over a lilac-haired boy, who looked none too pleased as he narrowly missed the collision.

"Oops! Sorry about that!" she called back, not pausing in her sprint. He glanced over his shoulder at her in disgust, before shrugging and continuing his unhurried stroll.

The girl gasped for breath, standing before the double doors of her destination. She straightened her black tank top and checked to make sure her white beanie was in place.

"Perfect," she smiled before opening the door and walking in at a leisurely pace.

"Are you Dawn LeNoir?" a young, smiling secretary asked brightly.

"Yup! Sorry I'm late; I got a little lost on this big campus," Dawn said with a sheepish grin.

"No worries, we get that all the time," the secretary responded. She hastily scribbled something down onto her notepad and pressed a few keys, signing Dawn in. "There we go. Here's your registration packet, Dawn. Principal Rowan's office is right around the corner. The door has a nameplate. He will review the contents of this packet with you and provide further instruction."

"Thanks," Dawn took the folder.

"Congratulations; you're on your way to becoming a student with us here at Lumiose Academy," the woman smiled warmly. Dawn beamed at her, nodding confidently.

"Thanks again!" she called before hurrying around the corner, glancing at the brass nameplates fastened onto sparkling glass doors. "This place is so professional…"

She quickly found the door to Prof. Rowan's office and cautiously rapped on the wooden frame.

"Come in!" a brisk voice called. Dawn slowly opened the door and walked inside.

"Why, hello, Dawn," Prof. Rowan nodded in recognition. He was the man who had given Dawn her Piplup when she was ten. Now at age fourteen, she had traveled through Sinnoh, Hoenn, Johto, and part of Kanto. Piplup had stayed with her the entire time.

"Hi, Professor Rowan," Dawn greeted the elderly professor. "It's great to see you again."

"You will address me as Principal Rowan here," she was reminded. "It's for the sake of other students, who do not recognize me as their professor."

"Oh, I understand, Principal Rowan," Dawn nodded.

"Do take a seat," Principal Rowan motioned to the chair across from his desk. Dawn sat down, placing her registration packet before her.

"Good, Roxanne gave you the information packet," the professor-principal nodded in satisfaction. "Open it and let's take a look."

Dawn slid out the contents of the folder, which even included a card-like key.

"To your room, as you will be boarding with us," Principal Rowan answered her unasked question. "You will share it with another girl your age."

He showed her a map of the school, went over some registration and class placement forms, and everything else a new student would need to at least be partially successful and know what she was doing at an academy this big. He highlighted the arenas and buildings in which her classes would be held.

"Lumiose Academy is a very large campus," he warned. "It is easy to become lost, which is why we have these."

He reached into the drawer of his desk and handed her a silver device.

"No way!" Dawn gasped. "I-Is this…"

"It's a Kalos PokéDex, multifunctional and complete with mapping guides like a Nav," the professor responded. "A full map of the school and the entirety of Lumiose City has been pre-programmed. There is a navigation function should you need it outside of Lumiose. With this new Pokédex, you will be able to research and identify the multitude of Kalos Pokémon. I assure you; they are quite different from any that you've ever encountered in Sinnoh."

"Wow…" Dawn breathed, sliding open the device. "Thanks so much, Principal Rowan!"

"You are very welcome, Dawn. I wish you a happy year here with us at Lumiose Academy," Prof. Rowan gave her one of his rare smiles. "Now, move along. The next student should be waiting."

"Yes, sir!" Dawn responded immediately, gathering her things and hurrying out the door. She promptly crashed into a black-haired, black-eyed boy.

"Ow…" he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head where he'd hit the wall. Dawn grimaced as she was thrown back by the impact as well. She mentally kicked herself. This was the second person she'd ran over in a day.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized immediately. The boy flashed her a white grin.

"No worries," he answered cheerfully. "I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu!"

"I'm Dawn Berlitz, from Twinleaf Town," Dawn replied with the same enthusiasm. "Are you here to see Profe-Principal Rowan?"

"You bet," Ash grinned. He indicated to a yellow mouse Pokémon who was sitting to a side, clearly unamused. After all, his trainer had just been run over by a hyperactive blue-haired ball of energy. "Me and Pikachu are gonna train hard here so I can become a Pokémon master!"

"Wow, you aim high," Dawn mused. "I'm trying to become a Top Coordinator, just like my mom."

"You too," Ash smiled. "Well, I'd better get goin'. Nice talkin' to you, Dawn. See you around!"

"Yeah, you too!" Dawn replied. Pikachu hopped onto its trainer's shoulder and flashed Dawn a peace sign as Ash strolled purposefully into the principal's room.

"He probably should've knocked," Dawn sweat-dropped, guessing the professor's not-so-pleased reaction. Professor Rowan was a big believer in formality. "Now let's see… why don't I let Piplup out? I'll bet he'll want to see this campus. Piplup, come on out!"

Tossing a red and white Pokéball into the air, Dawn waited for her blue Penguin Pokémon to appear.

"Pip pip lup?" Piplup shook its round head and glanced around the hall.

"This is the office of Lumiose Academy, Piplup," Dawn bent down next to her partner.

"Lup!" Piplup remarked, clearly impressed.

"I know," Dawn smiled, standing up. "Let's check out the dormitories. We need to meet in front of the office at three for our pictures and student ID's."

Piplup nodded and jumped into her arms. Dawn walked out of the office, waving goodbye to the secretary. Outside, she pulled out her new PokéDex.

"Let's see. Where are the dormitories for girls?" she wondered aloud. Opening up a map of Lumiose Academy, she found her current location marked with a blue arrow. Dawn selected the location "Girls' Dormitories" from the list of places on campus and found the quickest path marked with a dotted yellow line.

"Cool!" she exclaimed. Following the directions given on her Dex, she soon reached the dormitories.

"Piplup pip pip?" Piplup looked up at Dawn.

"I'm in room 48A," Dawn answered. "That should be on the second floor. You should go back into your Pokéball now."

She headed up the mirror-plated elevator after returning her penguin partner and winded up right outside the door. Removing the card from her yellow backpack, she unlocked the door to her new home and turned the handle.

"Hi there!" a cheerful voice called from inside the room.

"Huh?" was Dawn's only reaction upon seeing someone sitting on one of the twin beds, swinging their legs casually. She hadn't expected anyone else to be there.

"Sorry if I startled you," the girl gave a friendly smile. She was a slender redhead with sparkling cerulean-hued eyes that were a striking contrast against her pale skin. Dressed in a pale yellow vest over a deep red leotard and a pair of pale blue denim shorts, she seemed to be composed of entirely primary colors.

"No need to worry!" Dawn regained her composure and returned the grin. "I'm Dawn LeNoir, from Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh."

"I'm Misty Waterflower, from the Cerulean Gym. It's in the Kanto region," the girl introduced herself. "So I guess we'll be rooming together."

"Yeah," Dawn nodded. "48A?"

"48A!" Misty replied.

"Do you know why they split the rooms into A and B?" Dawn asked as she set her bag down on the other bed.

"Well, it has something to do with floor competitions and group battles. I'm not too sure," Misty answered. "Which bed do you want? I thought I'd better wait for you to get here before I picked."

"I'm fine with this one," Dawn smiled, smoothing down a corner of the sheets.

"That's great, because I just love the view from the window!" Misty's eyes brightened. Dawn noticed how much they sparkled when the ginger-haired girl was smiling. She joined her roommate beside the bay window.

"Whoa…" Dawn breathed. They were staring out past the leafy branches of tall berry trees to a grassy field. As it had just rained last night, the pale green of the grass shone with droplets of water. There were several dome-shaped stadiums at the edges of the fields. Dawn assumed that those were where battling and coordinating classes were to be held.

"That's right. Are you a gym battler or a coordinator?" Misty turned to Dawn.

"I'm a coordinator. I want to follow in my mom's footsteps and someday reach the top!" Dawn gave an optimistic grin. "What about you?"

"I was the gym leader in Cerulean City," Misty smiled. "I specialize in water-types, so you could say I want to be a Water Pokémon master."

"That's so cool! My partner Piplup's a water-type," Dawn tossed out Piplup's Pokéball. "Out you go!"

"Piplup!" the blue penguin landed neatly on the carpeted ground after performing a somersault midair. Noting that he had an audience, he added a spin and a bow as a finale.

"Wow! I've never seen a real Piplup before," Misty bent down and rubbed Piplup's head. The penguin chirped approvingly as she giggled.

"Attention, ladies. I'm Viola, your dorm manager. I'm a gym leader here in Kalos and a specialist in bug-types. Welcome to Lumiose Academy! This is just a reminder that you need to be down in front of the main office before three o'clock with your rooming group of four to receive your student ID cards. If you have any questions, feel free to message me on your Dex! You should momentarily receive instructions on how to set up an account, as well as list of the admins' contact information here."

"I've heard of Viola," Misty commented, standing up and shuddering slightly. "She gives out the Bug Badge to trainers who defeat her two Pokémon.

"Are you okay?" Dawn asked carefully, seeing tremors shake her new friend's body.

"I hate bug-types!" Misty cried out.

"I-I see…" Dawn stammered, not quite sure how to deal with this now raging girl. Her red hair was standing on hand, her arms were waving around, and she was vividly providing description of why she despised bug-types.

"They're one of the three things I'm scared of," Misty explained. "Bugs, carrots, and peppers."

"I-I see…" Dawn repeated, forcing a smile.

"I tend to get carried away whenever I see or hear one of those three things," Misty calmed down, seeing the rather nervous blue-haired girl before her.

"Pip!" Piplup nodded in enthusiastic agreement. Just then, a knock came on the girls' door.

"Coming!" Dawn called back, rushing to open it. There stood two brunettes, one with shining sapphire blue eyes and the other with shy brown.

"Hi there!" the blue-eyed brunette said. "We're from 48B."

"Oh, hi!" Dawn smiled back. "I'm Dawn LeNoir, from Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh. I'll be staying in room 48A."

"And I'm Misty Waterflower, former gym leader of Cerulean City in Kanto," Misty hurried to the doorway. "It's nice to meet you!"

"You're from Kanto?" the doe-eyed girl brightened up noticeably. "So am I! I'm Leaf Green, from Pallet Town."

"And I'm May Maple, from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region. I'm taking coordinating classes here," the other brunette introduced herself.

"You're a coordinator too? That's so cool!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Say, is that your Piplup?" May bent down to see the blue penguin that had waddled up to see what all the fuss was about.

"Yup! Piplup's my all-time partner," Dawn responded.

"My partner is Combusken, but the Pokémon I use most frequently in contests is definitely Beautifly," May said.

"A bug-type," Misty shuddered. "I specialize in water-types, and since I was a gym leader I wouldn't exactly say I have a partner, but Starmie and Staryu are the most experienced battlers I have."

"Bulbasaur's my partner," Leaf smiled, straightening out her green skirt. She was dressed simply in a white T-shirt with a green Pokéball pattern on it, a dark green tennis skirt, and white and green tennis shoes. A black felt wristband with a green (yet again) Pokéball pattern was around her left wrist. Lots of green. It probably wasn't a coincidence that her last name was Green, either.

May wore a red shirt with elbow-length sleeves and a dark blue collar, a white miniskirt, and dark blue bike shorts. Her hair was arranged into two dog-ear like ponytails covered with a red bandanna. She wore blue and white gloves and running shoes.

"Should we head over to the office?" Misty stepped back into the room to glance at the clock.

"Well, we were thinking that maybe we could go get lunch at one of the school's restaurants first," May grinned. "We have plenty of time."

"That sounds like a great idea," Dawn nodded. "What do you think, Misty?"

"Sounds fantastic," the redhead said cheerfully. "Leaf?"

"I'm all for it," the brunette smiled slightly. "Let's go."

**A/N: This is it! Chapter one. Please tell me if you liked it, hated it, give me ideas… I might throw in some OC's. Not quite sure yet. But stay posted for Chapter two! **


	2. Chapter 2- Budding

**A/N: Two chapters in a day! There's ..quite a bit of development in this chapter, I'll say. There's reasoning behind it, though. Sorry if the characters seem out of character; I need to watch some eps and read some fics to get myself familiarized with them again. Otherwise, read and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, nor am I affiliated with it in any way. **

"May, do you know any good restaurants we should try?" Misty inquired as the four girls strolled out of the dormitory building. May took out her PokéDex and tapped a few of the buttons on the holographic screen.

"There's a list of restaurants here," she explained.

"Let's take a look," Dawn smiled, peering over May's shoulder.

"None of them sound too interesting," Leaf remarked, glancing over the list on her own Dex.

"What about the PokéStar Studio Spectacular? That sure doesn't sound like a restaurant," Misty commented.

"It's not," Leaf responded. "That's in the list of academy attractions. The PokéStar Studio is where aspiring actors and actresses in the Pokémon theater world take lessons. My friend Marina's probably there."

"There's a restaurant there," May pointed out. "Why don't we take a look? Maybe we'll run into Marina."

"Hey! Dawn!" a voice called. Dawn looked up, seeing Ash Ketchum running toward her, waving. With him was a scowling lilac-haired boy, an irritated green-haired boy, and a slightly amused male brunette.

"Oh, hi, Ash!" Dawn waved back. Ash slowed to a halt in front of her. "We're gonna go get lunch now. Wanna come?"

"That's where we're headed too," Misty replied. She frowned slightly. "Have I seen you before?"

"I dunno, maybe," Ash shrugged. Just then, an epiphany seemed to overcome him. "Hold on- are you a gym leader?"

"Yeah," Misty nodded. "I'm the gym leader of Cerulean City, in Kanto."

"You're Misty!" Ash exclaimed. "I remember you. I challenged you way back years ago, and then Team Rocket burst in on the battle!"

"That's right!" Misty smiled. "You and your Pikachu were a great team."

"Pikachu pi!" Pikachu raced up from behind, panting.

"Oops, sorry, buddy," Ash sweat-dropped, rubbing the back of his head in shame. "Left you behind, didn't I?"  
"Cha…" Pikachu sighed, crossing his arms. Meanwhile, another conversation was occurring to the side.

"Well, if it isn't little Leafy," the brunette with Ash smirked.

"Gary Oak, I didn't expect the likes of you to be here," Leaf placed a hand on her right hip.

"You two know each other?" May glanced back and forth between the two brunettes.

"Are they having a staredown contest?" Dawn sweat-dropped.

"I don't know, but either way it's getting pretty intense," May whispered back.

"Of course I'd be here!" Gary dropped his narrowed gaze. "I'm taking the research classes at this academy. They're supposed to be among the best."

"Exactly where you don't belong," Leaf retorted.

"That's harsh, Leafy," Gary complained.

"That's truth, Gary," Leaf mocked his whining tone.

"Idiots," the lilac-haired boy muttered under his breath. Dawn suddenly recognized him as the boy she'd nearly plowed over earlier. _Way to make a first impression, Dawn…_ she thought rather abashedly.

"What's your name?" she asked politely, smiling. The boy gave her a glance, the scowl on his face not disappearing.

"Paul Shinji," was his mumbled response before turning away.

"Rude!" Dawn exclaimed. "Aren't you gonna ask me my name?"

"Why does your name matter to me?" Paul demanded, his voice dripping with scorn.

"Do you have manners?" Dawn demanded. Paul snorted and crossed his arms across his chest.

"You were the one who nearly ran me over today," he ended the conversation. Dawn blushed and backed down.

"You shouldn't try to approach Paul," the green-headed boy smirked. "Drew Hayden, of LaRousse City. A pleasure to meet you."

"LaRousse City? That's in Hoenn. We're from the same region!" May exclaimed. "I'm May Maple, a coordinator from Petalburg City."

"What an honor," Drew rolled his eyes. May growled.

"Stuck-up, arrogant, good-for-nothing _jerks_!" she screeched, balling up her hands into fists.

"May," Leaf attempted to pacify her new roommate. "Um, May?"

The normally sweet brunette was enveloped in flames. Her ocean blue eyes were glowing red.

"This doesn't look good," Misty sweat-dropped.

"Yeah," Ash nodded.

"Pika...chu?" Pikachu scampered up onto Ash's shoulder, cautiously peeking out at the enraged brunette.

"How intimidating," Drew's expression showed no change. "Masquerain, use 'Bubble Beam'."

A small bug and flying duo type emerged from the Pokéball he tossed out and pummeled May with a gentle stream of bubbles. The fire effectively doused, she looked around, blinking in surprise.

"What just happened?" she wondered aloud.

"You went psycho," Drew said flatly. "As expected of someone like you."

"How dare you judge me before you even know me?" May was about to flame up again, but Misty took quick action.

"Staryu, use 'Water Gun'!" she exclaimed. And so, May was soaked from head to toe.

"I'm not sure that was necessary," Dawn laughed hesitantly.

"I'm out of here," Paul rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into the pockets of his gray jeans. Dawn watched his retreating figure, before something in her stirred. To be honest, the lilac-haired teenager seemed more lonely than anything else. Dawn was a naturally friendly girl, so seeing people like him gave her a sense of being needed.

"Paul! Wait!" she called out, racing after him. The onyx-eyed boy turned, surprise flickering across his disdainful expression. He watched the girl sprint after him. In that short moment, he realized something incredible. Dawn looked like his mother. The same small smile, the same heart-shaped face, the same sparkle in the eye...no, thinking about his mother now wouldn't do him any good. As she approached, he collected his emotions neatly.

"Oh, it's just you," he said nonchalantly. Seeing Dawn pant after only a short sprint, he smirked. "How pathetic. Is that much of an exertion too much for you?"

"No, it's not," Dawn retorted between deep breaths. "I'm just a little out of shape after I hurt my leg. I used to run track, play tennis, and swim."

"Pathetic," Paul muttered once again.

"Is that your favorite word?" Dawn questioned, frowning. "It's not a good one."

"It's accurate," Paul stated simply. Dawn sighed. This conversation wasn't going anywhere.

"So, where are you going?" she asked.

"Not hungry. I'm heading back to the dorms," Paul replied. "I suggest you don't follow me. It could give others the wrong impression."

Dawn stopped for a moment, feeling heat crawl up the back of her neck. She shook it off.

"Why don't you just come with us for lunch?" she asked. "It can't possibly hurt you that much to socialize."

"Don't feel like it," he answered with a shrug. Dawn sighed again before racing after him, deciding not to talk this time.

"Dawn!" May called after her. "Are you coming to lunch with us?"

Dawn glanced between Paul, who had stopped and was now staring at her in an uncanny way that she didn't quite like, and the other girls, who had questioning written all over their faces.

"Go," Paul muttered.

Dawn flashed him a brilliant smile. "Just a sec! We'll be right there!"

"We?!" Paul raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Dawn said firmly, grabbing him by the wrist, much to his chagrin. "_We_."

"Okay, now that's cute," Leaf remarked.

"I've known Paul for a couple years now," Gary shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "He's been through a lot, and I guess that closed him off. He's not too approachable."

"I think Dawn's gotten to him," Leaf said. "Really, really fast."

"We'll see," Gary shrugged. "It depends on how much Paul lets himself trust her."

"This seems kind of unrealistic…" the six characters turned frowns upon the author, who raised her hands in defense.

"Dawn has an energetic and affable nature! There's nothing wrong with that," she countered. "And get back into your world. This story's writing itself."

"So, where's lunch gonna be?" Dawn raced up to the group, still dragging Paul by the wrist. He was still struggling to get free.

"You have a really strong grip," he grumbled.

"Sorry," Dawn apologized, but the smile on her face belied the regretful word.

"Let's just go to the PokéStar Studio place," Misty suggested. "Leaf, do you want to see your friend?"

"I do, but I just don't think that a theater's food's gonna be of top caliber," Leaf replied. "Let's check out the Momo Café place. It's somewhat near here."

ooo

"Leaf, didn't you say the place was _near _there?" Dawn panted.

"Unfortunately, Leafy's 'near' isn't the same as the rest of ours," Gary laughed. "She's a runner and a tennis player."

"Don't call me 'Leafy'!" Leaf snapped. To Dawn, she said, "It's not too far. Are you okay?"

"I have an old leg injury," Dawn explained. "It's part of the reason why I stopped traveling after three regions."

"Do you need to sit and rest? We can take a break," Misty asked.

"Heat it back at the dorm," Paul said lowly.

"Huh?" Dawn blinked in surprise, more out of the fact that he'd said something to her without her starting a conversation than his words. "Heat?"  
"It's a muscle injury, isn't it?" Paul asked. Dawn nodded. "Heat's the best therapy."

"Oh," was all Dawn managed to say. "Thanks."

"We can't stop for too long," Ash remarked.

"Yeah, we need to be in front of the main office by three," Drew added.

"Can you make it, Dawn?" May inquired worriedly.

"Yup! No need to worry!" Dawn's big smile was slightly strained. She was putting a noticeably larger amount of weight on her left leg than her right.

"Someone should carry her," Leaf glanced at the four guys. An awkward silence followed that comment.

"I'll be fine, Leaf!" Dawn said cheerfully. "Let's go-_crap_!"

She had accidentally stepped with her right foot, putting all her body's weight on the injured leg. The pain made her leg give way, and she would have fallen had someone not locked their arm around her waist and pulled her up.

"You okay?" Paul asked. Dawn felt her face flush, and she nodded wordlessly, staring up at him. He averted his gaze.

"Dawn!" May rushed over to the blue-haired girl. "I really think we should take a break."

"Dawn, are you okay?" Ash asked.

"Pi pikachu?" Pikachu voiced his own concern.

"I'm fine! Just fine! No need to worry!" Dawn's smile grew larger, but the others could see her jaw clenched in pain.

"I don't think you are," Misty knelt down in front of the girl. "Let me have a look at that leg. Where does it hurt?"

"Around the knee area," Dawn responded. She felt herself grab Paul's hand. The run to the main office, the run to Paul, and the walk to the restaurant had all taken a toll on her leg. _I really should have listened to the doctor and stayed home for another month,_ she thought. She felt Paul grip her hand tightly. Though his face was void of any expression and his eyes were looking past her, she felt his strength and comfort in his hand.

"Already on the hand-holding stage? That was fast," May teased lightly. Dawn and Paul both blushed on cue and jerked their hands away from each other, effectively making Dawn lose her balance again.

"Oh, gosh, this is not good at all," she fretted.

"It's okay, Dawn. We'll get you to the restaurant and back, even if we need to sit you on a Pokémon," Leaf said calmly.

"That's right," Gary said suddenly. "Ash, don't you have Charizard with you?"

"Yeah, but it's a real rough ride," Ash replied. "Dawn, you think you can handle it?"

"Yeah," Dawn answered.

"Hell no," Paul muttered. Raising his voice so everyone could hear him, he offered, "I'll go

with her."

"You can absorb part of the impact," Drew agreed. "It'd be a lot safer. It's a good idea."

"Why didn't anyone ask me if I was okay with this?" Dawn demanded. Drew sighed.

"Are you okay with this arrangement?" he asked flatly. Dawn pretended to consider it before shrugging slightly and nodding.

"Fine by me," she said cheerily.

"We're wasting time," Gary intervened.

"Yeah, we need to leave now, or we won't get there in time," Misty commented.

"In that case, the rest of us will run while Paul and Dawn are on Charizard," May decided.

"We need to hurry. Toss out Charizard, Ash," she said to the raven-haired trainer.

"Gotcha, Mist," Ash nodded.

"Mist?" hissed Drew. Misty blushed, and from seemingly nowhere drew out an oversized mallet and whacked Drew on the head with it.

"I like the way you think," Leaf said approvingly. The shy girl was gone; in her place was a figure of confidence, sassiness, and, well, sadism?

"Don't give that to May," Drew winced, rubbing the back of his head.

"You deserved it," May told him.

"Let's go," Paul murmured in Dawn's ear. She felt a shiver go up her back as she became increasingly aware of the proximity of another human body this would require.

"Right," Dawn nodded. She made a feeble attempt to stand up. Paul sighed through his nose and picked her up easily. Gary began to wolf-whistle, only to be cut off with a resounding slap on the arm from Leaf.

"That hurt…" he grumbled.

"There's more where it came from," was the unsympathetic response.

"Have you ever heard of S&M?" Gary asked.

"Let's not talk about it," Leaf said loudly, clearly embarrassed by such a _mature _topic. Dawn managed to let out a light laugh. Paul gently deposited her on Charizard's back.

"Charizard doesn't deal well with strangers," Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Are we gonna be okay?"

"We need to be okay," Misty said firmly. "Charizard can just deal with it."

"Or it'll get a bonk on the head from that mallet," Drew grumbled. "It still hurts."

"Good," May frowned at him. "We don't need your antics right now, Andrew Hayden."

"How'd you know my first name was Andrew?" Drew was surprised.

"Woman's intuition," May gave a sly smile. Drew smirked.

"Does that mean you're interested in me, Miss Maple? I wouldn't imagine that a girl like you would use her 'woman's intuition' unless she had some sort of motive," Drew sidled up alongside May. "What do you say?"

"I say you're the stupidest idiot I've met in a long time!" May exclaimed. "Let's go, everyone."

"They're cute together," Leaf muttered to Gary.

"Agreed," the brunette replied. "Let's start running, Leafy. Race ya!"

"You're on, bastard," Leaf grinned. Laughing like fools, they took off running.

"Hey! Where 'ya goin'?" Ash demanded. He turned to Misty. "C'mon, Mist, we can't let 'em get too far ahead of us!"

"Mist?" Drew and May had twin smirks on their faces.

"Shut up!" Misty screeched at the two of them before racing after Ash.

"Come on, Drew," May turned to the green-haired, green-eyed boy.

"I'd rather-" Drew was about to flip back his hair when May grabbed his forearm. "Hey!"

"Come _on_!" she encouraged. "They're beating us!"

"Is this a tag-team race to the restaurant?" Dawn exclaimed.

"It's the pathetic play of a group of idiots," Paul snorted.

"Come on, Charizard, we've got the advantage! Let's go!" Dawn let her voice soar as the Pokémon took flight.

"Easy," Paul warned. "We'll hurt your leg."

"No need to worry," Dawn turned back to face him, a genuine smile on her face. "It doesn't hurt much anymore, thanks to you."

"Don't thank me," Paul muttered. "I didn't do anything to deserve your appreciation."

Even so, Dawn felt his grip around her waist tighten, and she let herself relax back into his chest.

"I've got to get a picture of them like that!" May squealed.

"Weren't you the one who said we needed to catch up to the rest of the group?" Drew asked, stopping alongside the brunette.

"Yeah, but they're so cute together," May grinned at him. Drew sighed.

"Do you know how to take a picture with your Dex?" he questioned, a small smirk curving at his lips.

…

…

…

"Oh. Right."

**A/N: This would be where May attempts to show off her ability to use her Dex and fails miserably. C: Please drop a review!**


	3. Chapter 3- Café Friends

**A/N: I'm horrified, upon reviewing my last two chapters. I just realized I kind of sort of **_**meshed Drew and Paul's two characters together and now they're really similar people and Paul's talking too much and being too nice and Drew's being too much of an idiot and not an arrogant idiot… **_**I'll do my best to improve, but still be prepared for OOC-ness! Thank you for accepting that. ;A; **

"So, we did get here first," Dawn remarked as Charizard landed in front of the café.

"I couldn't tell," Paul said deadpan. Dawn huffed in response, before patting Charizard's neck.

"Thanks for getting us here, Charizard," she smiled at the large fire and flying duo-type. He roared in acknowledgement of her gratitude.

"Hey, Dawn! Paul!" Ash called. Dawn and Paul turned to see Ash and Misty racing down the path towards the café.

"I'm gonna win this race!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh, no, you don't, Ash Ketchum!" Misty cried, hurrying up from behind. The group had evidently finished introducing themselves to each other. Dawn slid off of Charizard slowly.

"Careful," Paul said gruffly.

"I'm fine! No need to worry," she smiled. All the same, she concentrated on placing her weight on her left leg when she reached the ground. Paul leapt off the large Pokémon's back with ease.

"How do you do that?" Dawn asked.

"Do what?" Paul glanced back at Charizard, who was staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Jump off so easily."

"I climbed a lot on my journey, so you could say I have a lot of practice," he stared Charizard down. Neither of them was giving in. Dawn sweat-dropped.

"Uh, hello? Charizard? Paul? Anyone home?" Ash skidded to a halt behind Misty.

"Ha! I told you I'd get here first," Misty smiled in satisfaction.

"You're a really fast runner," Ash told her, a grin spreading on his face.

"It comes from all the swimming I do to strengthen my leg muscles," Misty replied. "The gym's pool is nice."

"Ashy-boy, Misty, would you two mind slowing down next time? Some of us have stuff to carry," Gary huffed beneath the weight of his backpack.

"Why didn't you just leave it in the dorm room, Gary?" Ash asked.

"You're just out of shape," Leaf told him, laughing as she jogged up.

"Am not!" Gary countered.

"Are too!" Leaf snapped, cocking out a hip.

"All right, you guys. I don't think we need to fight about this," Dawn said nervously.

"Hn," Paul grunted in what seemed to be agreement.

"Do you know where May and Drew are?" Ash turned to look behind him.

"I think May wanted to take a few breaks to take pictures on her Dex," Misty giggled. "Drew taught her how to do it."

"That sounds like May!" Dawn said cheerfully. "Should we wait inside for them?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Gary agreed.

"Sure thing," Ash nodded. "Charizard, return!"

"I'm hungry. Let's go," Misty was already walking towards the door.

"I'm with you, sister," Leaf hurried to catch up to the redhead.

"Paul?" Dawn glanced at the silent boy. He shrugged.

"I'll take that as a yes," she sighed. "Come on; let's go in."

ooo

"_May_."

"What is it, Drew?" May asked, stopping to snap a picture of a bench underneath a berry tree. "This Dex is so cool! I couldn't take pictures on any of my other PokéDex's."

"Naturally, as the Kalos PokéDex is the most technologically updated out of all of them," Drew sighed. "But that's not my point."

"Then what's your point?" May blinked at him. Drew rolled his eyes in exasperation. Honestly, this girl was driving him nuts.

"We're the last ones in our group. We're all gonna be late if we don't get to the restaurant quickly," he tried again.

"We have plenty of time. Slow down and enjoy yourself once in a while," May smiled.

"I would, but," Drew paused as he felt his own Dex vibrate. Unlocking it with a swipe of his fingers, he read the new text message he had received from Gary. "_Where are u and May? Were gonna eat w/o u if u dont hurry! :)_"

"He can't even use proper grammar in texts," May peered over his shoulder to read the text.

"Who does?" Drew asked, pocketing the device. "But Gary's got a point. We need to hurry."

"All right," May sighed. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

"Wha-hey! You got a head start!" Drew raced after her to catch up.

ooo

"May! You're here!" Misty waved the two over to a large round table. The interior decor of Momo Café was simple, sweet, and carried a feeling of "home."

"I won that race," May smirked at Drew.

"No, you didn't," Drew countered. "It was a tie. Plus, you got a head start. I call that unfair."

"I call that strategy," May laughed as her new friend (friend?) narrowed his green eyes at her.

"It sure took you guys a while," Ash grumbled. "We didn't get to order yet!"

"Ashy-boy's stomach is always his first priority," Gary laughed.

"Don't call me 'Ashy-boy'!" Ash growled. Misty sighed as Ash balled his fist.

"Now that you're here, hurry up, sit down, and look at the menu," Leaf ordered.

"And don't forget Leafy's stomach. She can pack down as much food as Ashy," Gary snickered. He immediately received a punch in the gut from said girl. "Ouch…"

"At this rate, Gary won't be able to digest," Dawn remarked with an amused smile.

"Yeah, Leafy," Gary frowned. "It won't do anyone any good if I barf up my lunch."

"You mean it won't do _you _any good. We'll just leave you to empty your insides in a bush," Leaf said with a dismissive wave.

"We should order," May evidently took no notice of the small argument, opening a menu. "I'll have a double cheeseburger, no onions, with two orders of large fries, a medium chicken salad, a chocolate malt, and a large lemonade with extra ice."

…

…

…

"Are you sure you can finish that much, May?" Dawn inquired.

"I mean, it's really up to you if you wanna gain ten pounds from one meal," Drew shrugged with a smirk.

"Oh, you can just can it, cabbage-head," May glared at the green-haired coordinator. "I have a fast metabolism. That's not my fault, is it?"

"Cabbage-head?" Gary snickered. Drew shot him a vicious look.

"Don't comment on girls' weight," Leaf snapped.

"May didn't order _that _much," Ash commented, glancing around.

"That's because you're such a glutton," Misty replied. "I guess I'll take a cheeseburger, a serving of fries, and a lemonade."

"I, for one, am starved," Dawn remarked, opening her own menu.

"Leaf?" a surprised voice called. The brunette glanced up, finding her own shock mirrored in a pair of aqua blue eyes.

"Marina!" she exclaimed, standing up quickly. "It's so good to see you."

"Right back at'cha, sweetie," Marina embraced her old friend. "How've you been, travelling through Unova?"

"I'll say, it was probably the most techy out of all the regions I've been to, but I thought most of the people there were crazy," Leaf sniffed.

"You think everyone's crazy, Leafy," Gary called out. "If only you'd realize that it's _you _who needs psychological help."

"Is that Gary Oak?" Marina gasped. Gary smirked.

"Glad to know you've heard of me."

"You're the professor's grandson who gave up on battling!" Marina exclaimed. Gary winced at her unintentionally cutting words.

"I decided I had a lot more to learn about Pokémon, so I'm focusing on research for now," the male brunette exclaimed.

"Oh, I see," Marina nodded. "That makes sense. It was a good decision, Gary."

"You shut up, Garrett Oak.. Uh, so, everyone, this is my dancing, singing, modeling, overenthusiastic, actress friend, Marina," Leaf introduced her.

"It's nice to meet you all," Marina smiled brightly. "I'm enrolled her to study to become a PokéIdol."

"A PokéIdol? You mean, a performer that uses Pokémon?" Misty inquired. Dawn gave a gasp of realization.

"No way!" she cried. "You're _the _Marina?!"

"...Am I missing something here?" Ash asked, glancing around cluelessly.

"You're a famous child star and an amazing coordinator, aren't you?" Dawn asked, her eyes shining like stars. "I'd love to hear about what you do! Aren't you into fashion and design as well? So'm I!"

"It's...nice to know that we have common interests," Marina backed away slightly, intimidated by the cobalt-haired girl's sudden enthusiasm.

"Oh, forgive me!" Dawn backed down, realizing her behavior was causing the others discomfort.

"Never," Paul said deadpan, receiving a fleeting glare from the pink-loving coordinator.

"And that's Dawn, Pokémon coordinator," Leaf introduced her.

"I heard all about you from Zoey!" Marina remarked. "It's nice to see you in person."

"You know Zoey?" Dawn blinked in surprise.

"I think I met Zoey at the Wallace Cup in Johto," May said suddenly. "Red hair? Glameow? Lod voice? Strong opinions?"

"Yup, that's Zoey to a T," Dawn nodded with a sheepish smile.

"She's a pretty tough coordinator," Drew crossed his arms. "Her combinations are really something."

"Marina, do you wanna sit down and have lunch with us?" Leaf cut in.

"Actually, I'm meeting up with someone in just a few minutes," Marina blushed, glancing at the wrist-like apparatus she wore on her wrist.

"Is that the newest Pokétch model?" May asked tentatively. Dawn gave a dramatic gasp again.

"You really need to stop doing that," Paul muttered. Dawn completely ignored him, stars forming in her large eyes once again.

"I knew it! So you really are the model for the Pokégear company," she breathed.

"I recently finished modeling this new Pokétch version, so the pres gave me one of them before they were released to the public," Marina explained. She took off the Pokétch and handed it to Dawn, who gawked over the smooth white leather and gilded turquoise designs. The device complemented Marina's outfit well. The young model was wearing a white shrug over a silky turquoise blue tank top and a pair of white skinny-jeans. Her blue hair hung in two V-shaped ponytails that defied the laws of gravity, displaying the silver chandelier earrings she wore that matched her silver flats.

"Girls and their fashion," Gary grumbled as the five girls took to exclaiming over the Pokétch. The boys immediately scooted out of the way as they clustered together.

"What's all the fuss about, anyway?" Ash questioned.

"It's better to just not ask," a new voice laughed. All nine trainers looked up. Huge smiles broke over Marina and Leaf's faces.

"Jimmy!" they said as one, leaping out of their seats with such unsettling alacrity that May rushed to save her loaded tray of food from being knocked to the ground.

"It's good to see you again," Jimmy grinned widely as Leaf barreled into him with a tight hug, effectively cutting off his air circulation.

"L-Leaf…" he choked.

"Leaf, I think you're strangling him," May remarked.

"Y'think?! She's gonna kill him!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Not so loud," Misty hissed.

"Huh?" May and Dawn said in unison. Paul gestured towards the cashier, who had raised one eyebrow at Dawn's statement.

"No need to worry!" Dawn waved her arms in an exaggerated gesture to demonstrate to the dubious elderly lady that all was well.

"She sure didn't hug me like that when she saw me," Gary muttered.

"Does it bother you so much that your precious little Leafy didn't suffocate you?" Drew mocked. Gary shot him a look of poison.

"It'd be pleasure to be suffocated by someone like her," he grumbled.

"That could be taken in more ways than one," Paul dropped the unnecessary comment, causing a rare blush to appear on Gary's face.

"Uh...what?" Ash cocked his head in confusion.

"Nothing, Ketchum," Drew said dismissively. "Keep that innocence as long as you can. It'll be amusing to see you get stepped on in third year."

"Awh, Ashy-boy, it's too bad that girls don't look for guys who don't know shit," Gary cooed.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ash frowned.

"Maybe you'll meet one chick in your lifetime who wants a guy as oblivious as you," Drew shrugged.

"For her own personal _affairs_," Paul added.

"That was completely unnecessary," Gary deadpanned. Paul gave a half-shrug and smirked.

"Jimmy," Marina couldn't fight off her grin as Leaf released the navy-haired, navy-eyed boy. "Jimmy."

"Hey, Marina," Jimmy cracked a half-smile, flushing. He enfolded the beaming girl into a long, long, long, long, … long, hug.

"Oh my gosh, they're so cute together," Dawn whispered, bouncing in her seat. Paul rolled his eyes at her excitement.

"Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her," Leaf hissed, sliding back into her seat. Her chant was joined by Dawn as the two narrowed their eyes at the young couple.

"All in good time," May nodded sagely.

"They should really cut down on the PDA," Misty said lowly to Leaf.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Jimmy finally released her from the lasting embrace. Marina nodded and drew back.

"Did you miss me?" she asked coyly, tilting her head.

"That was fast," Drew muttered to Gary.

"She's experienced," the brunette whispered back.

"Experienced in what?" Ash demanded. Again, he wondered aloud, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Something you'll understand in a few years," the two said in unison.

"Idiots," Paul grunted.

"I agree," Ash crossed his arms and looked away, more confused than ever.

"When Misty makes the move on you," Gary called to the raven-haired trainer, who gave a start.

"_Huh?!_ What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yeah, what's that supposed to mean?" Misty's voice carried to the guys' side. The twin troublemakers shared a simultaneous gulp. "Are you two really _that _eager to die? I'll be more than happy to provide the suicide assistance…"

"Misty, there's no need to go so far," May tried to calm down the irate (and flustered) redhead.

"We're going to get kicked out if you bonk 'em on the heads, as much as they deserve it," Leaf pointed out.

"I suppose you're right," Misty huffed and sat back down. Gary mouthed a "thank you" to Leaf, who cheerfully flipped him off in response.

"Dissed," Drew smirked.

"Shut it, '_cabbage-head_'."

"Don't you think we should hurry and order before we're late to the meeting?" Ash exclaimed, tired of all the buzzing conversation.

"Right, right. How could we forget Ashy-boy's stomach?" Gary waved at a waitress. "We're ready to order!"

"We are?" Ash blinked as the smiling waitress approached their large table. "Wait! I haven't even decided what I'm gonna eat yet!"

**A/N: Yeaaah… I'm not too pleased with how this came out, but by minor QuestShipping in the desc I meant that it wouldn't be a major part of the story. But Marina and Jimmy are fathoms in love with each other and they'll show it! So, I'm going to start on the actual schooling next chapter, and perhaps two chapters later I'll introduce some stereotypical love rivals! I'm probably not going to have a huge secret mission plot or amazing adventure; just pretty much what the other Pok****éAcademy fics are like. Yes, there will be a beach chapter. ._. **


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